Contact Us

SPA's doctoral students are equipped with the skills to have immediate impact.

With expertise spanning public management, global health governance, regulatory policy and more, our PhD candidates bring the knowledge and action necessary to make great impact in the fields of public administration and public policy. Each of them are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of scholarship to new heights, educating the next generation of public affairs leaders, and researching the significant issues of the day.

Public Administration PhD Students

CatherineBampoky

Catherine Bampoky is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her interests include global health governance and health policy-making in developing countries, specifically …

Zachary BauerAdjunct Instructor

Zachary Bauer is a PhD candidate and the Charles Levine Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. His research specializes in collaborative…

Chase Bricker-CarterAdjunct Instructor

ChristopherBurks

Chris is a Founders’ Fellow for the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and a doctoral researcher of public administration and policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs. H…

MichelleCastleberry

Neko Michelle Castleberry is a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research interests include Reproductive and Sexual Health, HIV/AIDS, Women’s Healthcare, and …

SarahChung

KariDalane

Kari Dalane is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research interest is education policy. Prior to enrolling at American University, Kari worked in schools for fiv…

JourdanDavis

Jourdan Davis is a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Her research interests include long-term care, aging-related policy, and public engage…

TaylorDelaney

AnitaDhillon

Anita began her doctoral studies at the Department of Public Administration and Policy in 2018. Her research interests include collaborative governance, network management, international development, …

James EllisAssistant Dean, Undergraduate EducationProvost, Office of the

Jimmy Ellis (he/him/his) is the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education. He joined AU in 2011 and leads programmatic, administrative, and curricular assessment for the department, including the livi…

James GordonAdjunct Instructor

James Gordon is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. His research interests include environmental economics and policy, health and human capital, and public finance. Ja…

EneIkpebe

Ene Ikpebe is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research interests include the design and implementation of policies that address child marriage and its impacts …

AlbertoJacinto

Alberto Jacinto is a first year phd student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. His research interests include education and health policy, race/ethnicity and…

MariamKhan

Mariam Khan is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration & Policy. Her research interests are in the areas of labor, education, workforce development, and health. While p…

Minjung KimAdjunct Instructor

Minjung Kim is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Her research interests include public and nonprofit management, citizen satisfaction, …

Aeric KoernerAdjunct Instructor

Aeric Koerner is a doctoral student in American University’s Department of Public Administration and Policy. His research interests include public management, health policy, and
contracting and privat…

AustinMcCrea

Austin McCrea is a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. His substantive interests include public management, organizational performance, and the relationship between…

ZacharyOchs

JoohyungPark

WallisRomzek

Wallis Romzek is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research interests include the economic, social, and administrative implications of smart city initiatives, pa…

Lilli ShafferAdjunct Instructor

Lilliandra's primary area of study is in nonprofit organizations, specifically foundations. She is also interested in public administration theory and philosophy. Prior to attending American Universit…

RichardTakacs

Rich Takacs is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. His research interests center on urban policy issues including affordable housing, food avail…

LongTran

Long Tran is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. He also teaches a Math Boot Camp for incoming Master's students and gives guest lectures on…

Fei WangAdjunct Instructor

Fei Wang is a PhD student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Her research interests include privatization, public-private comparison, contract management, an…

RuiWang

Rui Wang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. His research interests include public administration, policy analysis, and international devel…

CarleyWeted

Carley Weted is a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Her research interests include investigations of environmental factors with effects on …

XiaoyangXu

Xiaoyang Xu is a doctoral student in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Her research interests include representative bureaucracy, public management, and social…

Political Science PhD Students

LeBao

Le Bao is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Government, with concentrations in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. His research focuses on public opinion and political communication, de…

EmilyBello-Pardo

Emily D. Bello-Pardo is currently pursuing a doctorate in Political Science at American University, and specializes in American and Comparative Politics, as well as in Methodology. Her research intere…

Simon HeubergerAdjunct Instructor

Simon is a fourth-year PhD student with concentrations in American Government and Quantitative Methods. His research focuses on the psychological underpinnings of public opinion, the advancement of su…

Danielle HigginsAdjunct Instructor

Danielle Higgins is a doctoral student in Political Science at American University's School of Public Affairs. She specializes in Comparative Politics, with a secondary field in American Politics. Her…

WilliamJorgeson

Will Jorgeson is a PhD student in the Department of Government. Originally from Clinton, Mississippi, before coming to American University, he received BA degrees in Philosophy and Economics from Miss…

RanuNath

Ranu is a doctoral student in the Department of Government. She studies Comparative Politics with a regional focus on South Asia. Her secondary field is Policy. Her research interest include inequalit…

IfeoluwaOlawole

Ifeoluwa Olawole is a doctoral student in the Department of Government, with concentrations in Comparative Politics and International Relations. She is an ardent student of African politics. Her broad…

BarbaraSoares Lima Dos Santos

Barbara dos Santos is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Government studying Comparative and Environmental Politics. Her research is focused on the influence of environmental interest groups in…

Justice, Law & Criminology PhD Students

RachelBowman

Rachel Bowman is currently a PhD student in Justice, Law, and Criminology. Her primary research interest is the influence of race in criminal justice decision-making. She's currently interested in pro…

Holly ChampagneAdjunct Instructor

Natalie ChwaliszAdjunct Instructor

Natalie Chwalisz is a PhD candidate at the School of Public Affairs, in the Justice, Law and Criminology Department. She focuses in on human smuggling, mixed migration and forced displacement.
In her …

KatherineDunn

Chanell FitchAdjunct Instructor

JasonFritz

Jason Fritz is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology. His research interests are on the intersection of political violence and the politics of policing. Prior to matricul…

Avi-Yona IsraelAdjunct Instructor

Avi-Yona is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology. Her research interests include philosophy of law, international law, human rights, global ethics, justice and the rule…

EstherMatthews

Esther Matthews is a doctoral student in the Justice, Law and Criminology PhD program. She holds a Master of Science in Justice, Law and Criminology, from American University, and a Bachelor of Scienc…

Hillary MellingerInstructor

Hillary Mellinger is a PhD candidate and Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology. Her academic interests include comparative asylum / refugee law and policy, the criminali…

Katherine ParsonsAdjunct Instructor

Alyssa PurdyAdjunct Instructor

Alyssa Purdy, originally from West Michigan, is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Justice, Law & Criminology from American University. In December of 2013, she graduated with honors fro…

Samantha SennAdjunct Instructor

VictoriaSmiegocki

Victoria Smiegocki is a fifth year PhD student in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology. Her primary areas of interest include courtroom decision making, social justice, school safety initiativ…

JenniferTilley

Jennifer Tilley is a Ph.D. student in the department of Justice, Law and Criminology. Her primary research interests include institutional and community corrections, capital punishment, parole and pri…

KristianWarpinski

Kristian Warpinski is a first year PhD student in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology. Her primary research interests include political violence and (counter)terrorism, the recruitment and …

Gabe WhitbreadAdjunct Instructor

Gabe Whitbread is a doctoral candidate in Justice, Law and Criminology at American University. Her primary research interests are comparative punishment policy and political philosophy. She specialize…